Francisco L. Rivera-Batiz – författare

Using the most current data available, the essays collected here offer a timely assessment of the impact of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA), which constitutes the most significant U.S. immigration policy initiative of recent years. The contributors--all well-known researchers active in analyzing immigration issues--examine such key questions as: How has the implementation of IRCA proceeded? What have been its effects so far? Have the goals of the immigration policy reform been fulfilled? What potential impact on the U.S. economy can the policy reforms be expected to have over the next few years? Taken together, their essays provide a comprehensive picture of the state of the art in the area of immigration policy research and a first look at the actual effects of IRCA on undocumented immigration to America.Each chapter analyzes a particular aspect or aspects of IRCA. Francisco Rivera-Batiz begins with an introduction and overview of U.S. immigration policy reform in the 1980s. Michael Hoefer then describes in detail the provisions of IRCA and shows how the law has been implemented to date. In the next essay, Barry Chiswick analyzes the effectiveness of the employer sanctions mandated by the bill. Subsequent chapters examine such issues as the critical role played by undocumented workers in the agricultural sector of the U.S. southwest, substitution and complementarity between immigrant and native labor, and the economic implications of immigration law reform. The contributors are united in the view that IRCA has worked well in its legalization aspects, reaching a large portion of the undocumented population. They raise questions about the employer sanctions provisions, however, and express doubts as to whether IRCA can be expected to have any major constraining effect on illegal immigration over the next few years.

The East Asian crisis has sparked debate regarding the future of emerging markets and the globalization of world capital markets. This book, with contributions by leading economists and political scientists, provides an up-to-date assessment of the causes and consequences of the crisis and the policy lessons drawn from it. In contrast to much of the existing literature, the volume presents the view that the crisis and its aftermath were not simply the result of purely economic and financial phenomena but also the reflection of some fundamental institutional, historical and political forces. The collection begins with a comparative and historical analysis of the crisis, placing it in the context of other financial and debt crises. This is followed by a discussion of the domestic, political and economic factors behind the events, delineating the differences and similarities among affected countries. The contributors also examine how global political forces influenced the unfolding crisis in various countries. Using the latest data, top experts present the current economic situation in East Asia, the contagion effects in the rest of the world, and the role played by international institutions such as the IMF. Finally, the volume provides a roundtable debate on the policy alternatives confronting emerging markets and the world monetary system in the aftermath of the crisis.Students, professional economists in academia and the private sector, scholars and students in finance, Asian studies specialists, and political scientists will all find this collection insightful and informative.